Next week, when the NBA All-Stars take over Toyota Center and trade ridiculous cross-over dribbles and degree-of-difficulty finishes at the rim, no one will be rattled by the exhibition.

It will be expected. Greatness with be matched against greatness. It is not because the game won’t matter or that defense will make only cameo appearances. The stars know what they can do and enjoy not only putting on a show but pushing the limits.

The gym will be filled with those sorts of players next week, but as the All-Stars on hand Friday night went from sensational to unstoppable, the Rockets seemed fine with just matching the Portland Trail Blazers bucket for bucket, run for run until the Blazers could no longer keep pace.

With James Harden putting up a second consecutive phenomenal offensive performance, the Rockets built their lead to 20 points and then coasted in for a 118-103 win in the team’s best shooting night of the season.

“Houston is shooting the ball well these days,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said of a week that began with the Rockets scoring a season-high 140 points and ended with them making a season-best 59.5 percent of their shots. “They were shooting the ball well inside, outside and midrange and were getting to the rim.”